Wednesday, 22 July 2015

In a first for a private Indian defence company, Pipavav
Defence & Offshore Engineering Co. Ltd. (PDOC) announced on Tuesday a joint
venture (JV) with Russia’s Zvyozdochka submarine overhaul yard. This positions PDOC
nicely for overhauling India’s nine Russian-origin Kilo-class submarines, and several
identical submarines operated by other regional navies.

In an official announcement in Mumbai today, PDOC stated: “The
indicative value of work proposed to be undertaken by the proposed JV is
approx. (sic) Rs 11,000 crore.”

PDOC also mentioned “potential additional revenues of
approx. Rs 20,000 crore” from the navies of Iran, Algeria and Vietnam.

A submarine undergoes an overhaul or refit --- termed
“medium refit and life certification” (MRLC) --- every 10-15 years in its 30-year service life.
This involves upgrading weapons, sensors and communications systems; and
inspecting, repairing and replacing worn out parts of a submarine’s two hulls
(an inner “pressure hull” and an outer hull).

Refitting a Kilo-class (or 877 EKM) submarine in India offers
advantages like cheaper labour costs and saving on transportation to Russia and
back. It also provides opportunities for indigenizing sub-systems in the
submarine, and develops expertise.

PDOC’s
statement says that Zvyozdochka will “provide complete technical assistance and
support to the JV, including inter alia for enhancement of infrastructure at
the PDOC facilities, training of engineers, etc. PDOC technicians will also be
closely associated with the first Refit to be carried out in Russia.”

On August
29, 2014, the defence ministry had cleared a Rs 4,800 crore refit for six
submarines. Mazagon Dock Ltd, Mumbai, was to refit two German-origin HDW
submarines. Meanwhile Zvyozdochka and Naval Dockyard, Mumbai would each refit two Kilo-class submarines.

It is
unclear whether the defence ministry is committed to the new JV between PDOC
and Zvyozdochka; and, if so, whether it would change the arrangement it
has already cleared.

It is also unclear whether the defence ministry would
disregard the experience already developed in two Indian shipyards --- Naval
Dockyard, Visakhapatnam, and Hindustan Shipyard Ltd, Visakhapatnam (HSL) ---
which have refitted one Kilo-class submarine each.

Furthermore,
other Indian shipyards, including Larsen & Toubro, are competing for
a chunk of the submarine overhaul business.

HSL, especially, has had a bitter experience with
Zvyozdochka, reported by this newspaper (September 2, 2014, “Russia
delayed sub refit to weaken shipyard?”), in which the overhaul of a
Kilo-class vessel, INS Sindhukirti, dragged on for nine years. Senior HSL
officials made a strong case to suggest that Zvyozdochka experts deliberately
prolonged the refit by ordering unnecessary work, to eliminate HSL from future
Indian submarine refits.

Now officials from HSL and other shipyards allege that Zvyozdochka
has chosen to partner PDOC, a new player in the market, in order to
comprehensively control the refit programme, which the Russians would be unable
to do with a more experienced Indian shipyard.

Rivals point out that PDOC has never produced a single naval
combat vessel of any complexity. It is true that the shipyard is long overdue
on delivering a Rs 2,500-crore order for five Naval Offshore Patrol Vessels.

Even so, Anil Ambani’s Reliance Infrastructure has recently thrown
its weight behind the shipyard, acquiring it in March from Nikhil Gandhi of Sea
King Infrastructure Ltd. Ambani paid Rs 819 crore for an 18 per cent stake, and
is committed to making a public offer for another 26 per cent of the shipyard.

Ambani is gung-ho about PDOC’s prospects. At a seminarin Delhi on July 16, he spelled out an expansive
vision of Pipavav Shipyard as a “Global Centre of Excellence” that would build
warships of all kinds, from aircraft carriers to frigates to submarines.

Claiming that Pipavav Shipyard had assets worth over Rs
10,000 crore, Ambani played up its impressive shipbuilding facilities,
including “the largest dry dock in the country and second-largest in the world”,
Ambani said he would invest another Rs 5,000 crore in the shipyard.

If Ambani’s
PDOC lacks experience, Zvyozdochka has that aplenty. Established in 1954, it
has overhauled or refurbished more than 120 submarines and 90 warships. It
remains to be seen how much of that experience and hold over the market it is
willing to transfer to PDOC.

5 comments:

GOOD TO HAVE HSL , NAVAL DOCKYARD , L$T, PIPAVA DEFENCE AS SUB BUILDING AND REPAIR YARDS AS COMPETETION WILL HAMMER DOWN THE PRICES OF NEW BUILDS AND REFITS . INDIAN DEFENCE SHIPBUILDING IS A MILCH COW WHERE NETAS BABUS , BUSINESSMEN COMBINE WITH CONNIVING SERVICE RANKS DIP THEIR FINGERS IN BRIBES AND SUGAR COAT THE PRICES . WITH NO INBUILT COST ACCOUNTING BY PROFESSIONAL CAS OR CHARTERED COST ACCOUNTANTS SHIP AND SUB PROJECTS OVERSHOOT THE BUDGET AND BUILD TIMELINES AND MASSIVE COST ESCALATION IS THERE. QUALITY AND BUILD IS SUBSTANDARD COMPARED TO WESTERN ASIAN OR EVEN RUSSIAN SHIPYARDS .

Under a future sanctions regime against russia, Mr. Ambani would be a front to channel funds back to russia (after a handsome commission) and keep the russian military complex running ... in India.. Still an interesting development.. Hope our workers manage to gain some experience and successive indian governments use leverage this experience...

"Even so, Anil Ambani’s Reliance Infrastructure has recently thrown its weight behind the shipyard, acquiring it in March from Nikhil Gandhi of Sea King Infrastructure Ltd". Reliance Infra has not yet acquired Pipavav Defence.

As on 13 Aug 2015, Gujarat Government has not approved the open offer that is to be made by Reliance Infra. Pse see Reliance Infra website (Investors Relations - Investor Communications - Con Calls). Even the first tranche of 18% shares has not been acquired. How-come everybody says that Reliance Infra has acquired Pipavav Defence? Hard to understand!